episode_0046

At the arcade, I, Yu-ri Lee, and Soo-yeon Choi had a lot of fun with each other, but Gong Young-bae didn’t seem to have any interest in it in the first place.

Gong Young-bae did not participate very actively when playing racing game consoles or other things, including DDR, or when singing at coin karaoke.

“Hey, isn’t it fun?”

I approached Gong Young-bae and asked him, lightly tapping him on the shoulder as if I were friendly.

“Huh? No, I’m not saying it’s fun or not, it’s just something… I’ve never done anything like this before and I just don’t think it suits my personality.”

“You can’t like everything. Dude, it’s not like you said you wouldn’t come, but if you said you would come when I asked, just set the mood and do it. These two are having fun, but what would the atmosphere be like if they did that next to you?”

“Yeah, right…”

But even so, Gong Young-bae had little interest in playing in a place like this.

After having fun for about an hour, we followed Yu-ri Lee and Su-yeon Choi’s main opinions and went to a rice bowl restaurant to have a meal.

Perhaps because other academies, including Jinsugyo, had all finished their exams today, the area was bustling with customers of our age even though it was 1pm.

“It’s a bit noisy.”

Gong Young-bae, who was eating, frowned slightly at the noise around him.

“Dude, there are probably a lot of academies here and there that finished their April exams today, so of course there are a lot of them at this time. But if we wait until it gets quiet, everyone will be very hungry. Or the restaurants are taking afternoon break.”

“That…that’s right.”

“How do you always go to places you like? Sometimes, even if it’s uncomfortable, you have to endure it. Let’s eat something.”

And Yuri Lee was silently listening to our conversation while eating.

After the meal, I patted my full stomach.

“Ha, now I feel like I can live because I eat like a human.”

“That’s why I always live sparingly.”

Yu-ri Lee frowned while looking at me.

“That’s right. Now that my salary has arrived, I should live a normal life. Oh, Yuri. I was thankful for giving me a packed lunch every morning. It was very delicious.”

At those words, Gong Young-bae looked at me and Yu-ri Lee in turn with a very concerned expression.

But Yuri Lee didn’t pay attention to that and was only looking at me.

“That… really? I’m glad it was delicious. Anyway, you would have starved to death without me. I know you’re grateful.”

“That’s why I’m saying thank you. Still, it’s a pity. I’ve gotten used to it now, but I can’t wait to eat Yuri’s handmade lunch box made with love anymore.”

“Well… sometimes I can do a little more-”

However, Yu-ri Lee’s words were cut off by Gong Yeong-bae’s intrusion.

Gong Young-bae opened his mouth with a slightly fearful but determined expression that he had to say what he had to say.

“Han Seong-jin, I don’t know why he got a lunch box from Yuri, but he said he just received his salary. Then, no matter what the reason, you can’t ask someone else to get up early in the morning and make you a lunch box. It’s a nuisance.”

“……”

For a moment, Lee Yu-ri glared at him as if he were going to kill him, but Gong Young-bae didn’t notice that gaze because he was looking at me.

Then Sooyeon Choi did not miss the opportunity and intervened.

“Then, shall I make it for you? It’s not even a nuisance to me.”

Lee Yoo-ri, who opened her eyes after seeing Choi Soo-yeon acting cutely, intervened.

“I haven’t said anything yet. So… go, I can make it for you sometimes… if you want.”

“Yuri, no matter what, the academy work and the student council work alone must be overwhelming, but that’s-”

“If it’s hard, I’ll stop on my own. Why are you meddling?”

Lee Yu-ri responded coldly to Gong Young-bae, and Gong Young-bae was speechless and looked at her with a bewildered expression.

“Oh, really? What you made was really delicious. Then, can I ask you a favor sometimes when I think of you?”

“…… Okay. You can’t leave it for me.”

Even though Gong Young-bae was right in front of her, Lee Yu-ri nodded and said that she would make me a lunch box from time to time.

And the expression on Gong Young-bae’s face when he looks at it…

‘What a minister.’

Is this exactly what a person who has lost his country looks like?

That’s why, when Lee Yu-ri usually makes a lunch box, she eats it well and praises it for being delicious.

Youngbae, this is the difference between you and me.

Pay attention to the girls’ feelings, consider their feelings, and above all, express them clearly without taking advantage of them.

It’s too late to find out now.

#####

As time passed and it was almost 3 PM, Han Seong-jin and Choi Soo-yeon returned home.

Yu-ri Lee also prepared to go home right away, but when they were alone, Gong Young-bae caught her.

“What.”

“Yuri, let’s talk for a moment, okay?”

“I said I had nothing to say.”

“I was wrong!”

At Gong Young-bae’s apology, Lee Yu-ri paused for a moment.

Yu-ri Lee, who was staring at him, asked in a cold voice.

“Do you know why I do this?”

Gong Young-bae closed his mouth for a moment and then answered.

“Yes. He kept saying things about me hanging out with Han Seong-jin, and he was arrogantly meddling in your actions. Sorry, I won’t do that anymore. So, won’t you accept my apology…?”

It wasn’t a perfect answer, but it seemed like he knew at least some reasons.

After hearing those words, Yu-ri Lee felt relieved for a moment.

Unlike Choi Soo-yeon, she has known Gong Young-bae for over 10 years and has liked him for a long time.

So after hearing those words, I felt like forgiving Gong Young-bae.

Until the next words came out of his mouth.

“I’m really sorry. From now on, I won’t say anything even if you go with Han Seong-jin or go to places like before. So, can’t you let go of your anger now?”

“……”

Even if I go with Han Seong-jin?

Even if you go ‘to that place’?

Yuri Yu-ri’s stomach began to boil again.

Word choice as if he was doing something he shouldn’t have done.

It’s wrong to go to places like arcades and have fun, but the tone seems like it won’t be an issue anymore.

Once I got angry, I started getting angry again about what Gong Young-bae said when he apologized.

When I first heard it, I thought for a moment that I was convinced and wanted to forgive him, but after listening to what he said, I realized that he had no idea why he was really angry.

His attitude of taking his affection and attention for granted, yet not doing the same for him, and even cursing Han Seong-jin, who was nice to him, because he seemed to be trying to distance himself from such topics.

When she thought of those scenes, Yu-ri Lee’s stomach, which had been burning like an active volcano, soon calmed down as if coolant had been poured into it.

And she answered calmly, even to her own surprise.

“Okay, okay.”

Gong Young-bae’s face, which had been in the shadows the whole time, finally became bright.

“Really? Thank you, Yuri. Now I won’t do anything to make you feel bad. I was really sorry.”

“Yes, it’s good to know.”

“Well… now we’re just like before… right?”

“After the exam, I ate and felt sleepy. I’ll go in first. You should go quickly too.”

“Huh? Oh yeah. Now is the perfect time to get sleepy. Then go in carefully, Yuri.”

“… Yes.”

On the outside, it seemed like the relationship had been restored to its original state after accepting Gong Young-bae’s apology, but Yu-ri Lee’s heart was extremely cold.

Lee Yu-ri, who had shaken off even the slightest regrets and affection she had at Gong Young-bae’s remarks, which seemed to be full of the consciousness of being the chosen people, now felt relieved.

I no longer got angry when I saw Gong Young-bae.

She ended up in the same state as Choi Su-yeon.

Yuri Lee sighed lightly, gathered all her thoughts, and took out her cell phone.

#####

On my way home for my last part-time job of the week, I took out my phone when I felt a vibration in my pocket.

There was a message from Yuri Lee.

[Lee Yu-ri]: Are you going home?

[Me]: Oh, I have to go to a part-time job.

[Lee Yu-ri]: It’s a pity, if today were Friday, you wouldn’t have had to go to your part-time job.

[Me]: Would you have wanted to play more if I hadn’t gone to my part-time job? Haha that’s cute

[Lee Yu-ri]: Why can’t I just play like that sometimes?

[Me]: No, I actually encourage playing.

[Lee Yu-ri]: But I won’t play as badly as you.

And for a moment, Yuri said nothing.

Then suddenly he made a video call to me.

“Suddenly video call? Did you miss me that much?”

– … just.

Yuri Lee’s mood seemed similar to usual, but was subtly different.

I guess something else happened with Gong Young-bae after Choi Su-yeon and I left?

“The atmosphere is a bit different? Should I say that I am liberated or that I look aloof?”

– … Did I do that?

“It just seems like that for some reason. don’t mind. But why did you suddenly make a video call? You could have said it via chat.

– Well… I don’t know why I walked. I just moved my hand without thinking about it.

“What is that? When you hear it like that, it really sounds like you just called because you missed me?”

– …… Hey, Han Seongjin.

“Why.”

– Do you remember the promise I made last time? I said I would go to your house later to cook dinner.

“Of course I remember. You lied and said you were sick, so I brought you medicine and porridge on Saturday morning and went to your house.”

– I couldn’t go then… Can I go this Saturday?

I took a deep breath quietly, trying not to show that I was excited.

If she had come to my house last time, her emotional hurdles were still high, so I could have just made her a meal and left.

But in this situation, if she comes to our house, Yu-ri Lee is not a fool, so she knows what will happen next.

Even though she knew that, she said she would come to our house.

I decided not to say anything more about that.

“Okay, come and play. Do it nicely. Oh, since you’re always pretty, is it really okay?”

– Anyway, what I’m saying is… Then, tell me your home address.

“Ah, the security in the neighborhood where I live is a bit… not good. If you leave me alone, I’ll pick you up in front of your house that day. Around 11:30 a.m.?

– Will you do that?

“You look a little touched?”

– … no.

“Anyway, I’ll pick you up, that’s all I know. But we probably don’t have much ingredients to cook at home.”

– That’s okay.

“Okay, then I’ll see you at the academy tomorrow.”

– okay. And… thank you.

And Yu-ri Lee’s face became red enough to be seen even through the screen, and she spat out a word in a much quieter voice than before.

-…… Seongjin.

And then he hurriedly ended the video call.

I could have teased her about that comment just now, but for now, I decided to give Yu-ri Lee time to embarrass herself to her heart’s content.